Strength training is vital for heart health, muscle building, and boosting metabolism, but you don’t always need weights. If you’re on the go without a set, recovering from surgery, or simply prefer weight-free exercises, Lauren, a MYX expert trainer, suggests using bodyweight and brainpower.
Flex and Hold: Discover Its Power
Dynamic tension isn’t a band name; it’s a method by Charles Atlas to build muscles without weights, using repetitions and exercises. Lauren, a MYX expert trainer, explains that our muscles contract because of signals from the brain. You don’t always need weights to create resistance. For example, making a fist and squeezing your arm muscles is dynamic tension. Even holding a Plank tightens your muscles without weights. Lauren says it’s about actively engaging your muscles and connecting your mind with them. With weights, the exercise can be more passive, but without weights, you must actively engage your muscles.
Primal Movement Patterns
Lauren explains that the next step in resistance training is using dynamic resistance with basic movement patterns. When doing each bodyweight exercise below, keep your muscles engaged throughout for resistance.
- Squats Focus on your hamstrings as you lower, then engage your glutes, quads, and thighs when you rise.
- Lunges Step forward evenly, avoiding extending your leg too far over your toes.
- Pull up and push down: Do push-ups, combining pulling up and pushing down while keeping muscles contracted.
- Twist – Try rotational exercises like Russian twists or Medicine ball throws to engage different movements. Stand sideways against a wall, focusing on your obliques, and throw the ball hard.
- Bend: Practice standing side bends or forward bends to maintain back flexibility and build strength.
- Gait : Walking or jogging is a form of gait exercise. Try walking on a slight slope, doing slow lunges, or focusing on specific muscle groups.
We believe that as you practice resistance training at home or while traveling, you’ll realize the benefits of using just your body and brain for a workout. Lauren explains, “You’ll discover that internal resistance is an effective, low-impact way to work your muscles without external weights.”
This post was written by Darryl Johnson, Co-Owner of Apex performance. At Apex performance we are a community of highly trained experts looking to provide performance enhancement and a permanent lifestyle change for our clients in a fun and interactive environment. Members can take advantage of youth sports performance training near me, one-on-one training, small group classes and specialized courses for a wide variety of athletics, sports training and body goals!
